it may be valentine's day, but not a lot of love for chuck hagel. next week a nato meeting of defense ministers is scheduled in brussels. but given the way chuck hagel's nomination is going, it's possible the u.s. may not have a new defense secretary there or leon panetta may be forced to go there steed. yesterday, the senate began the odd procedural dance that is required for cloture, the process for ending senate debate. >> nomination, department of defense, charles timothy hagel of nebraska, to be secretary of defense. >> mr. president, i sent a cloture motion to the desk and ask the clerk to report. this is the first time in the history of our country that a presidential nominee for secretary of defense has been filibustered. what a shame. >> the requirement of 60 votes for a cabinet appointee is almost unprecedented. only two cabinet appointments have ever been filibustered, according to the senate historian's office. verity in 1978 and dirk kempthorne. no appointment has ever been successfully filibustered, by the way. yesterday, senator jim i